This is Nicole’s latest blog. She is NOT very happy, and rightly so. A very passionate article, enjoy. (We have permission to re-publish it).
I’m incensed and enraged. I’ve spat out my morning tea and have almost choked on my toast whilst digesting today’s football news.
I shouldn’t be getting wound up about what I’m going to talk about, because its link with football is almost farcical, but I will continue to wind myself up over it.
This morning I was pointed towards this article at hereisthecity, entitled “Birmingham City Fans usually have big bellies“. If you don’t want to read the drivel, the basic premise for this article is Ivana Takitall is rating all 20 Premier League clubs according to the male fans attractiveness.
The delightful article then goes to rate each clubs fans, with no fact or reasoning flung in. Just 20 paragraphs of made up stuff about the respective male fans of each clubs. One thing I get a whiff of here is the fact she’s probably a Cockney bird or a Cockney wannabe bird, seeing as on the whole she generally gives London clubs male fans the massive thumbs up, for example Fulham, “A Fulham supporter is every girl’s dream. Well off, daft as a brush, and able to go like a train for hours” although she is massively disparaging about Chelsea “In the same way that many Chelsea fans arrived from other clubs without warning, so Chelsea man will often return home after a visit to another man’s wife. Don’t trust him, or at least accept him for what he is – a selfish, flash-harry with a Narcissus complex.”
Just by reading the pieces title, you know she isn’t going to be kind about Birmingham City, who she duly describes as “These men are a little more basic than their Brummie rivals. All those years letching after Karren Brady have take their toll. And so have all the pies and pints. The biggest thing about the average Birmingham City fan is unfortunately usually his belly”. Where is her proof that all Birmingham supporters are pie eating letches? Why doesn’t she provide the stats that show that all Birmingham loving males have big bellies? If anything, I’ve sat with some very nice looking young men at the football!
Even the opening statement is nothing more than obvious, “My research has led me to believe that couples are better off not going to watch matches together’, she continues, ‘As particularly younger men much prefer to watch their teams with their ‘proper’ mates, having a few drinks before and after the game, and stuffing pie and chips like it’s going out of fashion. Arguments can often ensue when a female partner wants to join in the fun. In many way, the perfect partner for the average football fan is one who actually dislikes football – that way, the guys will be free to support their team without any ‘interference.”
How many people have you seen on a night out who go out as a couple and end up arguing? That is just life. Generally, couples and days out together do not mix. It only takes a snidey comment from one partner in front of the other partners friends to light the blue touch paper and it all goes up.
Saying that though, a football loving bird is sometimes a massive coup for some men. Sometimes, it is quite amusing to let the woman tear apart a friend’s football theory and their only comeback is “she’s a girl, what does she know about football?”.
I know many of you will be banging your heads against the wall right now, telling me I’ve missed the point. This is obviously a tongue in cheek piece, mildly mocking each football club, using small anecdotes about each club to validate the facts in some way. I must have had a sense of humour by pass this morning though, because it just isn’t funny.
Being a girl and writing about football is tough. Horribly tough. If you have an opinion on anything which is traditionally male, the response is usually to get back into the kitchen and have a sandwich, or people view you with massive suspicion. The only way to gain any respect as a female writing about football, in my opinion at least, is to write about football topics that men want to hear about. On the pitch formations, transfer speculation, history of the club. Those kinds of subjects always go down well. Topics like what Takitall wrote today only add to the argument that girls really know nothing about football.
Nicole
Totally agree with you kev, this made my blood boil, who the hell does she think she is, i have already emailed her to have pop, i thought i was being stupid when i had my rant, but i’m glad i’m not alone on this, also i hope you dont mind me using your forum while i’m on here asking everyone to join my facebook group ” tom ross for broad st walk of stars.
Thanks
Martin.
Thanks for the credit Martin, but I should point out that Nicole wrote the article! 🙂
Plug done. 🙂
Yet another fantastic article by Nicole.
I, too, read the article in question and had to chuckle at the attempt at writing made by Ivana. It’s unresearched, it’s prejudiced and it’s downright poor. She certainly doesn’t have a future in the field, whilst Nicole has shown the qualities required to make the big time in the near future.
Ivana Takitall? Ivana Fakoff.
I would hazard a guess that this “Ivana Takitall” is a totally made up person…
I mean “Ivana Takitall” sounds a lot like “I vant to take it all”…
It is just a big joke which some people will get, and some people won’t.
Ivana Takitall is actually Nigel Cummings, a spotty, twenty seven year old virgin who, when not working for npower Customer Services, likes to pretend that he is a lady.
@Andrew – I think it’s obvious to all that the original article was a wind-up, but does that make it any more offensive and poorly put together? I’ve been a journalist for more years than I care to remember and I’ve put together a few funny articles in that time. It’s clear, however, that this attempt at a joke was not researched or well constructed – that’s the problem here.
@Paul – I did wonder whether the terribly chosen name was a construct of a no-nothing.
I agree with everything that Nicole has said. I for one have thoproughly enjoyed her contributions to the blog over recent months and she is absolutely right about the Ivana Takitall article which I read with with a deflationary groan. The nom de plume should be ‘Tatisall’ which would be more in keeping with the complete and utter drivel about perceived male stereotypes from each of the 20 Premier League clubs that the article covers. Nicole, if you are reading this comment; be assured I reckon you are one girl who does know her football and long may your articles be reprinted on Joys and Sorrows.
Bazza 🙂
To be fair to the original article Blues fans do tend to be a bit porky. It’s the chicken balti pies.
Sorry nicole if you are reading, read it wrong..still made me angry lol.
Thanks Kev.
Martin
Darlings,
I love it that you are talking about my work.
Thank you all so much. Big kisses.
And don’t forget to buy my book – ‘Football Fans and Female Fun’, available now in all good bookshops.
Ivana
I’m a Bluenose and I’m absolutely gorgeous.
You’re lucky! I’m an Exeter City fan and I apparently don’t exist.
I agree though. This sort of thing from from lazy journalists does get tiresome. Here’s some news for them==>
“The proportion of women viewing the World Cup has grown from 39% in 1998 to what is expected to be a record 42% in South Africa, according to media agency Initiative”
More here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/09/world-cup-2010-women-ads
Thanks for your comment Early Bath. I actually live in Okehampton so keep an eye on the local clubs.
Kev
This debate will and is going to go on forever. But the fact still remains there are some really good womens football teams and women working in the football industry. Its the norm
Still annoying to read lol